The Racquette. (Potsdam, N.Y.) 1927-current, March 03, 1977, Image 11

Image and text provided by Northern NY Library Network

y ns, ere ire) March. 3,1977/Diversions/page 3 the to nn- en, hat test vo- lses lar- tter ! tO :em \A ture t of heir tof Responses from the 'ignorant'Potsdam audience To the Editor: This letter is written in response to the recent in- terview of the Blue Oyster Cult concert. 1 would like to give a differing point of view. As compared to the three previous concerts this year, the Blue Oyster Cult concert was somewhat of a disaster. There were good parts, but only the ignorant could have con- . sidered it \great\ as the review pointed out. Where I • disagree with the review is, why it wasn't. First of all, there was the waiting. A long wait be- fore a concert is one thing, but lateness is quite ano- ther. At this concert we had to wait 35 to 45 minutes just for the warm-up band, and once they started, you just wished they would go away. I have heard some awful warm-up bands, but the Dictators really took the cake. We were next treated to an even longer wait, this one being for over an hour. The long waits were made more enjoyable by the fact that most of us were either sitting or standing very close to one another. Entertainment during the breaks was provided, in part, by the numerous CUB security people milling about in their yellow T-shirts, pretending that there was no smoking, but nevertheless trying to look like they were doing something important. They did get their big chance, but flubbed it when a small group of spectators tried to sit on top of the folded bleachers where they weren't supposed to. When four \burly\ CUB security agents were unable to remove even one spectator from his position, reinforcements were call- ed from another direction. A brief scuffle broke out on top of the bleechers and eventually one person was thrown \bodily\ off. It was rather a spectacle I must say and, as it turned out, the highlight of the evening. Things got so boring after a while, that there ' was nothing better to do than watch a frisbee being tossed around for what seemed like forever. Finally the lights went out, there was a brilliant flash of light on stage, a roar from the crowd, and then, nothing. The concert was not to begin for ano- ther 5 to 10 grueling and embarassing minutes for both the band and the audience. Blue Oyster Cult had about three times the equipment necessary and were apparently having trouble getting enough power to drive their amps. An entry like that on top of what we had already put up with, did not leave the crowd in the best of moods. The band limped along for another 20 min- utes or so, trying to put their act together and get some kind of response from a disgruntled audience. Things did pick up when the light show began. Osci- lating green lazer beams, flashing across the smoke-fil- led gymnasium was somewhat impressive to those who had never seen anything like it before, but dis- appointing to those who had. There were some ex- cellent solo performances by various band members but by this time the volume of sound was so great that one's head was throbbing in pain. Rather than . damage my senses any further, I escaped before the encore. It was suggested that the Potsdam audience might have been either stupid or inhibited for not jumping to their feet and clapping along with every song. Considering the situation, this was obviously not the case. I too, have been to Madison Square Gar- den and fail to see how a concert there can be com- pared to one in the Clarkson Alumni Gym. There was hardly room to boogie to one's heart's content. Clap- ping and yelling along with a song is something a group like The Bay City Rollers have teenie-boppers do to cover-up a lack of talent. As Billy Joel pointed , out, a crowd of clapping or singing non-musicians does not keep very good rythmn. I think everyone would have been happier had the bleechers been used Those who simply wanted to watch couldhave sat down. Those who wanted to get more involved could have stood on the floor. The Potsdam audience was easily captivated by Billy Joel who even turned some heckling to his own advantage. Harry Chapin was warmly and enthusiasti- cally received; having started on time and having per- formed almost non-stop for three hours. J. Geils didn't do badly either, but tnen, nearly everyone was stoned. It is the band's job to adapt itself to a parti- cular audience and get them involved, not the other way around. Robert Kaulfuss 3-8 Main Street Apartments ,v Blue^Ovster Cult, whose concert sparked much controversy 'Big Brother' at cult concert To the Editor: In defense of the ignorant Potsdam audience at the Blue Oyster Cult concert. I agree, we had all the elements for a great show. I for one would truely have been able to enjoy it had it not been for the at- mosphere at the CCT gymnasium. How can one enjoy a concert with \big brother\ prowling the high walls around you with spotlights? Any sign of a lit match and suddenly you and those all around ycu are bathed in a stabbing beam. Grant- ed, rules are rules, but can't there be a less obnoxious way to enforce them? Not only the criminal with the match is interupted from enjoying the concert, every- body in the vicinity is also. Why were some rules so rigidly enforced and others not? I refer to those concert guards slurping Molson's Beer from glass containers. What an oppres- sed atmosphere that's the last time I bother to go to a CCT concert. T. Baxter Watch for upcoming plays Preparation has begun for the annual Festival of One-Act Plays, produced and presented each Spring by the Drama Area of Potsdam State's Fine Arts Department. This year's festival consists of twelve plays, all student-directed. The Festival is scheduled to open, and run through, the week of March 7-12. The admission prices to each evening of One-Acts are as follows: S.G.A. members-$.50, General --$1.00, $1.50 for the purchase of any two (2) Gen- eral Admission tickets, and a special group rate of $.50 for groups of ten or more. (Photo by J.J. Gavin) Drama